YJK Further Adventures
by Casta Gemou
Summary: The continuing adventures of the YJK gang. A mystery on Coruscant requires some undercover work. Mostly TKJ, but Jaina and possibly Zekk will show up soon... Thanks to all who reviewed! chapter 7 added february 26!
1. Why are you here?

Chapter 1- "Why are you here?" A/N- This story is AU, lets pretend that the NJO never happened for the time being. Expect more stories, some that go with the NJO timeline, and some that don't. I'm a huge TenelKa/Jacen fan, as you will see. I'll try to update this as often as possible (some reviews may speed up the process a bit ;) ). It begins with Tenel Ka, running in the forest.  
  
Stray branches brushed her bare arms and legs, while the early morning dew sparkled on the grass beneath her feet. She silently willed her legs to go, faster, faster, faster. Though running quickly, her breath was near normal speed, slowly inhaling and exhaling the sweet jungle air.  
  
While running, she closed her mind to the Force, and concentrated only on the movements of her arms and legs. Some may say this tactic is foolish, but she saw it only as practice for sealing her emotions. After all, who would be in this jungle, so early in the morning? Left, right, left, right, faster, faster, and faster. She distantly heard small animals scurry away, birds sing their morning song, and exotic bugs click. She saw the sunlight filtering through the top canopy of the forest, and felt its warmth on the skin left exposed by her light running clothes.  
  
A voice called out, very close to her. She immediately ceased running and spotted the attacker, emerging from an obvious shortcut to this clearing from the Academy. She struggled to open to her mind to the Force again in order to identify his feelings, hostile or otherwise. It was too late, and her attacker began to come forward to her, slowly at first. She took advantage of his sluggish movement and ran at him  
  
She swung her leg and it made contact with his chest, forcing him to stumble backwards. He got up and attempted to put up a good fight without hurting her. Why is he not injuring me? Someone wants me alive. Then, tackling him, she hit him solidly in his nose with the heel of her hand.  
  
"Hey! What do you think you're doing? "  
  
She knew that voice...from long ago. So familiar it sounded, yet at the same time, so far away. Her old friend Jacen's presence suddenly flooded the Force. Jacen isn't here....  
  
Quickly, she stood, forgetting her attacker, and scanned the forest for her friend. "Hey!" he said again. "It's me! Jacen!"   
  
It is him. He's here. And...I punched him.  
  
"Tenel Ka, are you alright?"  
  
"Jacen!" She ignored his question, and asked one of her own. "Why are you here?"  
  
He clutched his nose, which was now bleeding in large quantities, dripping on to the grass. "Because," he said through his hands, which were doing a poor job of stopping to blood flow, "I wanted to visit the academy.and you."  
  
"Jacen, I apologize."  
  
"No, really, I'll be fine." He stood up, but became light headed and sat down. Tenel Ka came over and helped him to his feet with her one arm. They moved over to the river bank and sat down on a rock. She pinched the bridge of his nose, "Hold it here, but not tightly, it may be broken."  
  
"May be broken? That was a pretty hard punch, what got into you?"  
  
"It is unwise to sneak up on someone in a dark forest." The last few drips of blood dropped from Jacen's nose, and into the river. "You should go to the infirmary. I will accompany you."  
  
"Really, this is nothing. See, It's fine." Jacen looked up at her, and flashed her a lopsided smile. She noted that his nose had a slightly purple tinge to it, but as long as he could talk and smile without cringing, he would be fine.  
  
"It would heal more quickly if you went now." She stood up and offered her hand to him and he took it, standing up.  
  
"Thanks." They walked in silence for a few minutes. "You shouldn't close yourself off to the Force like that, Tenel Ka."  
  
"It is an exercise."  
  
"For what? Closing off your emotions? Pretending to not be a Jedi?" Jacen chuckled to himself, but Tenel Ka just shrugged.  
  
"Sometimes it is unwise to allow others to read your emotions. Your inner feelings may betray you in times of danger."  
  
"I see." They walked along the well-tread path, the "obvious" shortcut to the Jedi Academy in silence for a few moments.  
  
"I've missed you," Jacen said, and said as an afterthought, "and everyone else too, of course."  
  
"And I have missed you." A pink medallion hanging around Tenel Ka's neck caught the light. Jacen reached the arm that wasn't being supported by hers up to touch it.  
  
"You still wear this?" The necklace was a shard from Jacen's pet gort, Nicta's egg. He had given it to Tenel Ka at graduation from the Academy.  
  
"Of course," She said simply. They walked in an awkward silence again. It had been two years since they last saw each other, though they had written back and forth. In earlier years, Jacen had always been a bit shorter than his red-haired friend, and now that he was just centimeters taller it somehow made all the difference.  
  
In the time that had passed since they graduated, Jacen worked for the New Republic Intelligence in secret missions. He was most useful as a Jedi, and even without the Force, his "people skills" were excellent. Tenel Ka had found herself on Hapes, at the request of her mother and father. Teneniel Djo took her daughter to Dathomir where Tenel Ka taught the Singing Mountain Clan more advanced Force techniques in order to prepare them for the consistent treat of the Nightsisters returning.  
  
Tenel Ka and Jacen refused to admit to each other, (much less to themselves) that they were unsure of the future. Neither knew what they wanted to do, only what they did not. Tenel Ka had no desire to return to Hapes and face her grandmother, and Jacen had found himself being roped into politics by his mother on Coruscant.  
  
All this had been said in letters and holos, so the awkward silence continued until they reached the huge clearing of trees where the Jedi Academy stood.  
  
"Jacen!" Luke Skywalker walked towards them quickly, his wife Mara trailing behind with their son Ben in her arms.  
  
"What happened to you?" Mara asked promptly. Ben gave a baby gurgle and reached out his chubby arms to the pair that had emerged from the forest.  
  
"I was.attacked." Jacen was still holding on to Tenel Ka's arm for support, though he probably didn't need it anymore.  
  
"Good thing Tenel Ka was there, then," Luke said.  
  
"Master Skywalker, I attacked him." Her voice trailed off uncharacteristically as Luke gave her a look that told her he knew all to well that she had closed herself off the Force, and he did not approve.  
  
"Hah," Mara laughed and gestured to her hair, only a few shades darker than Tenel Ka's, and said, "it's the hair." Both women had fiery red locks, and a fiery warrior's attitude to match. Mara herself had attacked Luke on countless occasions before they were married, though not by accident. "Better help him to the infirmary to repair the damage then."  
  
********  
  
"Yes, this is most definitely broken. Someone can pack a hard punch. Was it Borka again? That boy gets in more fights than I have Bacta for." Galena, the Jedi healer and nurse at the Academy bustled around the infirmary, talking absently to herself.  
  
"Borka? No, no, it wasn't."  
  
"Who then? Master Skywalker will surely want to have a chat with whomever it was." Galena turned around with an assortment of bacta patches in her hands. She was a short women with dark brown hair, shot with silver. She was talkative, but her voice was smooth and calming, perfect for her line of sometimes frantic work. Jacen was seated on a med table and Tenel Ka stood by his side. Tenel Ka looked down at her booted feet, and Jacen looked at her uncertainedly.  
  
"It was Tenel Ka." He looked at his friend apologetically.  
  
"Have you already talked with Master Skywalker? Or is this some Dathomiri thing where you attack the people you're fond of?" Galena had not taken a liking to Tenel K after she had refused to come in to get a cut treated. She bandaged it up herself in the infirmary, refusing help.  
  
"It was an accident. A mistake." Tenel Ka's eyes bore into Galena's. She made her see the truth without having to say it. Tenel Ka had gone on a run and "left the Force behind" at the Jedi Temple, assuming she wouldn't need it.  
  
"I see." Galena gave the warrior girl the same look Master Skywalker had given her.  
  
"Well." Galena washed her hands and stored the unused bandages. "We're all done here."  
  
*******  
  
Tenel Ka awoke with the sun the next morning, and found herself in her old room. She remembered the events of last night. She and Jacen ate dinner with Luke and Mara, and Jacen spent some time with his new cousin, Ben. Luke had asked the two friends to teach the newest lightsaber-ready trainees about the weapons they were about to build.  
Years ago, they had the worst lightsaber-related accident in the history of the academy. Tenel Ka rushed through the building of her lightsaber, and when sparring with Jacen, her left arm was severed just above the elbow. Luke believed the ordeal would teach the new Jedi a thing or two about the power they would soon hold.  
  
It felt strange to be back in her room, as if she had gone back in time. After a quick shower, she headed over to Jacen's old room and knocked.  
  
"Come in." She entered, and saw the familiar sight of cages lining the wall opposite the door. Jacen's room had been given to a young boy who loved animals as much as Jacen had when he lived in this room. Kalil was thirteen, and perfectly willing to share his room with the older Jedi. Both boys were now feeding the animals, and Jacen's old pet Gort, Nicta, was sitting in his shoulder.  
  
Apparently, Nicta had sprouted wings as she grew, and she flew off of Jacen's shoulder and landed on Tenel Ka's outstretched hand.  
  
"She has grown," Tenel Ka said, and Nicta blinked slowly.  
  
"Yep! I take great care of her," Kalil hopped up excitedly as his finished putting food in the last cage. "Class starts in a few minutes, I can't wait to build my own lightsaber."  
  
"Indeed, the class does begin soon." Tenel Ka gently placed Nicta back in her cage and closed the lid.  
  
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Kalil ran out of the room, and motioned for Jacen and Tenel Ka to follow. Jacen smiled at Tenel Ka, thinking of how much Kalil's vocabulary reminded him of his sister Jaina. Tenel Ka had the same thought, and a smile briefly touched her lips.  
  
******  
  
Tenel Ka and Jacen entered the dining hall of the academy, where they were to meet their new students. There were four of them, three humans (including Kalil), and one Mon Calamari. They were chatting quietly, but turned their heads when they heard the two Jedi enter. A chorus of "hellos" greeted them.  
  
"Greetings." Tenel Ka said, with a nod of her head.  
  
"Let's go outside for this lesson, we can talk at the top of the Temple." Jacen led the way to the repulsorlift.  
  
The six Jedi sat down, and the first question out of the bold Caleb was, "I don't mean to pry, but what happened to your arm?"  
  
"It was an accident." Tenel Ka said. Jacen swallowed uncomfortably, for though his Uncle had believed that the story would be a wonderful lesson, it was always hard to tell.  
  
"What kind of accident?" Caleb looked interested until Tenel Ka said, "A lightsaber mishap."  
  
"Oh. Sorry."  
  
"Do not be sorry. You had nothing to do with the accident. Even the other person involved is not to blame. It was my fault, I constructed my first lightsaber too quickly, and it burnt out."  
  
"Who was the other person?" The Mon Calamari, Moana, asked quietly. Tenel Ka noticed that the other girl, Gelda, had not said a single word.  
  
"It was me," Jacen said, "Would you like to hear the full story?"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
So, together they told the story.  
  
******  
  
Three weeks later, their lightsaber trainees were doing very well with their new weapons. They were on the roof of the temple again, and were practicing with each other. It was the first time Tenel Ka had sparred with Kalil, and she had a feeling that he would go easy on her because she only had one arm. She, of course, proved him very wrong indeed and he ended up on the floor seconds into the fight.  
  
Gelda had finally warmed up and said more than three words to everyone, and had proved herself one of the best fighters of the four. ******  
  
The time came when the sun was simply too hot, and the air too sticky, so they all walked down to the river for a swim. Jacen and Tenel Ka walked a ways behind the others, talking.  
  
"I can't believe how far they've come," Jacen said in wonder, "And we taught them."  
  
"It is an excellent feeling of accomplishment, seeing students grow and learn," she said, "But we cannot stay here forever, the Academy has an adequate amount of instructors."  
  
"True, but what should we do? Jaina's path was simple, joining Rouge Squadron was the obvious choice."  
  
"Master Skywalker mentioned assembling a Jedi Council on Coruscant," She said, referring to the previous night's conversation.  
  
"But in the Old Jedi Council, only Masters were allowed to be members."  
  
"Things change, Jacen. In these times, it would be wise of Master Skywalker to appoint Jedi of all ranks to the Council."  
  
As they approached the bank of the river, Jacen opened his mouth to reply, but instead he got a mouthful of river water. Kalil had cannon-balled into the wide jungle river, soaking all in the proximity. He smiled at Tenel Ka. "I guess we'll have to swim now."  
  
"This is a fact."  
  
After the swim, the Jedi returned to the Temple, ate dinner and headed down their separate hallways for bed. Kalil ran in the room ahead of Jacen, to feed the animals their dinner, and left Tenel Ka and Jacen alone.  
  
"Goodnight Jacen"  
  
"Goodnight." She leaned in to kiss him, as had become their nightly ritual lately, but before their lips could touch, Jacen jumped away and pressed himself against the wall.  
  
"What is wrong?"  
  
Jacen's eyes closed and his fists curled, whether in pain or anger, Tenel Ka could not tell. She moved next to him and touched his shoulder. He felt her presence through the Force, calming him immediately. "What is it, Jacen?"  
  
"It's my mother, she's been hurt." He swallowed. "Badly." 


	2. Surprise

Chapter 2

            Jacen quickly threw the things he had just recently unpacked back into his bag for the trip back to Coruscant. He scanned the room, trying to make sure everything he had brought to the Academy was safely packed in his bag. He saw Kalil, sleeping soundly, and snoring softly. What would their lightsaber students think happened to Jacen and Tenel Ka? He quickly wrote two notes on a pad of paper from Kalil's bag.

_"Kalil- _

_Thank you for sharing your room with me. I'm glad to see that someone is taking good care of the animals. Don't forget that the crystal snake's cage needs fixing. You know how much trouble it would cause it if got out…_

            I'm sorry I didn't get to say goodbye, but a family emergency has come up. My mother was injured. She is fine, but something tells me I should go anyway. Thank you again.

_-J"_

_"Moana, Gelda, Caleb and Kalil-_

            We are so sorry to leave without saying goodbye, but an emergency has come up on Coruscant…" 

            Jacen paused to think of what to write next, when someone softly knocked on the door. He set the note for Kalil down on Kalil's nightstand, and took the unfinished note and pen and his bag with him.

            Tenel Ka stood at the door, her red hair illuminated by the hallway's blue-tinged light. "Are you ready to leave?" She had her duffel bag slung over her left shoulder, and her right hand was propped on her hip.

            "Almost, I thought we should leave notes for the kids. They might worry."

            "True. What have you written?"

            They finished the note together-

"We want you all to know how much you've improved in the last three weeks. You will be excellent Jedi Knights, and skillful with your lightsabers. Whenever you need anything, do not hesitate to ask. Friends will always be there for each other, and we count each of you as a new friend. We hope to return soon.

_~Tenel Ka and Jacen"_

            "Hold on, there's one more thing, I almost forgot." Jacen ducked back into the room and emerged with his duffel slightly more full than it had been.

            "What did you get?"

            "Umm… some clothes."

            "I see."

*****

            They quickly walked to the _Rock Dragon_, Tenel Ka's ship. As they were about the board, Luke, Mara, Ben and Galena  walked up to them.

            "We'll be coming to Coruscant with you, and leaving Galena in charge of the Academy." Luke said, holding the gurgling blue-eyed Ben.

            "Will you make sure our lightsaber students get this?" Jacen held out the folded note.

            "Yes, and have a safe journey." Galena waved and left.

            Luke and Mara boarded Mara's ship and took off. Tenel Ka and Jacen followed close behind, and both ships made the jump to hyperspace.

******

            Tenel Ka and Jacen went to bed in the two separate cabins in the Rock Dragon, and finally got their goodnight kiss. When Tenel Ka's alarm went off the next morning, Jacen knocked on the door loudly.

            "Wake up! Something's wrong!"

            She hopped out of bed, and ran to the door. She touched the panel and the door swished open. Running out into the hallway, she found herself in the dark, and Jacen was no where to be seen. She felt her way along the walls to the cockpit, and found that it too was dark, except for the blinking lights of the consoles.  

            "Jacen?" She looked around again, suddenly glad she had thought to bring her lightsaber.

            "Surprise!" The lights flew on, exposing balloons and a ration bar with candles stuck in the top, resting on a table between the pilot and copilot chairs. "Happy birthday, Tenel Ka."

            "How- how did you _know_?" He took her hand and led her to sit in the pilot's seat.

            "Jaina told me." He gestured to the brown ration bar. "Sorry, it's all I could find in the kitchen."

            "Why does it have candles in it?"

            "It's a Corellian tradition- you blow them out and make a wish." 

            She looked at him incredulously. 

            "Go ahead! You don't want a waxy ration bar." She blew them out, and he cut the ration bar in half. He laughed, "Nice pajamas." 

            She always made it a point to change quickly in the morning, but when Jacen had said something was wrong, she didn't hesitate to come into the ship wearing her gray cotton tank top and pants. Her hair had been rumpled when she slept, and was pulled back into a ponytail. Jacen thought it strange to see her without her usual perfect appearance and braided hair. Though Tenel Ka was serious and usually solemn, she still found ways to surprise him.

            "You too." Jacen was still wearing his sleep wear as well, though he had taken the time to comb his hair. They ate in silence for a few moments, listening to the hum of the hyperdrive engines. Jacen broke the silence and said, "I hope my mom and dad are safe."

            "They are resourceful people. I am sure they're fine."

            Jacen smiled, but he was still uncertain. "I almost forgot!" He reached under the portable table and brought out as long, flat package. "Your birthday present."

            "You did not have to…"

            "I wanted to."

            She looked at it fondly. "I have not gotten a birthday present in years. My parents usually just send a message."

            "Open it."

            The brown, crinkly paper wrapping it was secured by what looked like a vine from the jungle, and a huge blossom was tucked in the vine. It had five enormous petals, each beginning in a bright gold and turning to fiery red as the color reached the edge. 

            Tenel Ka smiled slightly, and pulled the blossom from it's place. "It's beautiful. Where did you find it?"

            "The jungle, actually. It reminded me of you."

Her smile grew slightly, and she untied the string. The paper that wrapped the present fell away to reveal a book, covered in a familiar looking lizard hide. It had been one of her own, from Dathomir, but it had ripped and she had thrown it away

"I threw this out weeks ago."

"I know. I was looking for something to cover the book in, and it seemed perfect."

Tenel Ka opened the book, only to find that it was filled with pictures of her, Jacen, Jaina, Lowie and Zekk in their years at the Academy. Inside, it said, 

_Happy 19th Birthday!_

_            I know it's been a long time since we were at the Academy, but I stumbled across these holos recently, and they reminded me of how much fun we had. You are a wonderful          person and I am proud to call you one of my best friends. _

_Love, Jacen._

            "Thank you, Jacen," Tenel Ka said, "It's wonderful.". Before he could respond, the alarm sounded that the trip in hyperspace was over. The ship smoothly entered real space and the long lines of stars shortened themselves to tiny dots.

"We should get dressed." Jacen said. 

They quickly dressed, and were hailed by traffic control. They docked near the Palace, and ran inside to the medical wing.

******


	3. Coruscant

Chapter 3- Coruscant  
  
"Your mother took a blaster wound to the chest." Han Solo looked weary, he had been by Leia's side day and night. "They gave her medicine to speed the recovery, but it makes her drowsy."  
  
Jacen sat beside his mother's bed, Tenel Ka stood behind him. Luke and Mara stood on the other side of them bed, with Han. Jacen asked his father, "Who did it?"  
  
"That's the worst part. It was two of your mother's own guards. Last night, we were leaving to go to dinner, and they were standing by the doors of our rooms. One of them called her name, and she turned around. He just shot her with his blaster." Han looked genuinely scared, an emotion few in the room had seen before. "We can't trust any of the guards now."  
  
"It's a scary thing, to lose trust in your protectors." Luke said thoughtfully. "Where is the guard who fired the shot?"  
  
"Behind bars, for the time being." Han said.  
  
"He should be interrogated." Tenel Ka had much experience in situations such as this. On Hapes, constant attempts on the Queen's life were made.  
  
"We were waiting for the Force-sensitive to arrive." An official looking man stepped into the room, wearing a high-ranking New Republic Intelligence uniform. "I am General Niron of the NRI. Now that you are here, shall we begin?"  
  
*******  
  
Niron led them through the palace, down into the lower levels, and held the interrogation in a small conference sized room. Luke, Mara and Tenel Ka questioned the man while Jacen sat with a notepad and pen. He tended to avoid direct confrontation when possible; his mind worked in a way the others' did not. He could analyze the way the person's mind worked, and could use the Force to detect truth or lies.  
  
"Well, that man is clearly unstable, and easily manipulated." Jacen and the other Jedi sat in the medical wing, chatting over cups of caf. Leia was still in her deep sleep, and had gone into a healing trance with the help of her brother.  
  
"True. He did mention something about 'the big office building close by'. I think that's our biggest clue." Mara said.  
  
"That must be that huge office building next to the Senate building. It's easily the biggest one in the area," Luke added.  
  
"We should send people in, undercover, and see what they can dig up." Mara's favorite missions were the sneaky ones.  
  
"Who, then?"  
  
Jacen and Tenel Ka had been silent for the last few minutes; they had pondering looks on their faces. Mara looked pointedly at them.  
  
"Us? No, really we can't." Jacen looked at Tenel Ka, baffled.  
  
"You worked for the NRI, they must have taught you something." The group could almost see the gears ticking in Mara's head. "And you," She pointed at Tenel Ka, "can be easily taught."  
  
"I've never done anything of the sort.I-" She shook her head slightly.  
  
"We'll get you secretarial jobs in the building, fake IDs, costumes."  
  
**********  
  
Jacen waited anxiously outside Mara and Luke's room. Mara had been with Tenel Ka for almost two hours, teaching her how to be a "ditzy secretary". Jacen seriously doubted that it would work.  
  
"Aunt Mara, how is it coming?" Jacen was surprised when the door whished open. Mara was standing there, hands clasped behind her back.  
  
"Very well, thanks." She called behind her, into the apartment. "You done?"  
  
A blonde woman emerged from the apartment, wearing a light gray business suit. She had blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair, with a slightly flirtatious look on her face. Jacen felt Tenel Ka in this woman, and had to reassure himself that it really was her. He walked up to her and took her hands in his. He then realized what he just did and dropped them, jumping back to the wall.  
  
"Ah! But.how.it looks so." Jacen floundered for words, waving his hands around.  
  
"It's good to have friends in high places." Mara said. "They made the arm quickly with schematics sent from Hapes of the one they made years ago."  
  
Tenel Ka looked wary. "It is strange.I have adjusted to only having one hand." She flexed the fingers and moved the hand around. "Having two hands will help avoid suspicion though."  
  
"It's amazing." Jacen took her new left hand and held it in his. "Can you feel this?" He traced a finger around her palm.  
  
"Yes," She pulled her hand away. "But I will only wear it for this mission." She said more quietly, "I know it hurts to see how things could have been, but they aren't. It still isn't your fault." She reached out for his hand again, this time with her real hand, and gave it a squeeze.  
  
"Ahem." Mara interjected, "Ask her some questions." "Okay, What is your name?"  
  
Tenel Ka slipped back into the mode of acting out another person. "Liana Dajal"  
  
"I see, Liana. And where are you from?"  
  
"Hapes." Liana smiled prettily, something Tenel Ka would never do under normal circumstances.  
  
Jacen laughed. "How'd you get her to smile like that?"  
  
Tenel Ka reached over and slugged him in the arm, reminding him that it was still her. "It is for the good of the mission," She said through a forced smile and clenched teeth.  
  
"I see," Jacen rubbed his arm. "So, Liana of Hapes. Where on Hapes are you from?"  
  
"A small town outside the capitol city. It's very nice."  
  
"Hmm.has anyone told you that you bear a striking resemblance to the Princess of that world?"  
  
Liana smiled again. "Really, how flattering!"  
  
Jacen looked at Mara. "You taught her to say that one, right?"  
  
Mara nodded. "I think she's doing remarkably. Now it's your turn."  
  
"Uh oh."  
  
******  
  
Two days later, Mara walked with Tenel Ka and Jacen to the bus stop where they would board a hoverbus and be shuttled off to work with the rest of Coruscant. Tenel Ka wore her gray skirt and jacket, and her hair was still more blonde than red, and she swung her new arm expertly at her side. Jacen had blue contact lenses and had dyed his hair a few shades darker. Since he was such a public figure, Mara had added a little make-up putty used mainly for actors, to enhance his nose and chin.  
  
"Remember," Mara said in a low voice, appearing to only be making casual conversation with the two, "It will be less suspicious for you two to be sneaking around if you start a little 'office romance.'"  
  
Jacen and Tenel Ka glanced at each other quickly, then turned their attention quickly back to the crowd of people getting on the bus.  
  
Mara smirked, "That might not be much of a stretch, now will it?"  
  
Tenel Ka got a seat near the back, Jacen near the front, and they waved to Mara as the bus took off, full of busybody commuters. Tenel Ka projected a thought through the Force to Jacen, This will be an interesting day indeed. 


	4. First Day at the Office

"Third floor, please." Tenel Ka stepped into the large turbolift and the attendant pressed the large button labeled "3" in about five different languages. Through the glass sides, she saw Jacen climbing the stairs to the fourth floor, where his job was located. Tenel Ka thought taking the lift would fit her character a bit more than using the stairs in high heels and a skirt. He caught her eye and nodded slightly.   
The lift came to an abrupt stop and the doors swished open. "Thank you." Tenel Ka said, as she made her way into a richly decorated hallway. Mara had secured her a secretarial job at a top law firm on Coruscant.   
She stopped at the door across from the lift with a plaque made of a strange, purplish metal, inscribed, "Barr Brothers Office of Law." As she entered, she knew Mara's lavish costume choices had been good ones. There were rare paintings and sculptures adorning the wallpapered office, and the two front desks were made of dark wood from the trees of Kashyyyk.   
"Can I help you?" A young woman sitting at the desk on the right asked. "Yes, my name is Liana Dajal... I was hired as a secretary here..."   
"Ah yes!" The woman stuck out her hand, and 'Liana' shook it cordially. "My name is Lavada. I'm the Barrs' personal assistant, part time."   
"How nice!" Tenel Ka grimaced inside. How very...annoying this character she was playing acted.   
"Well, Liana, here is your desk. Go ahead and set down your bag, and take off that coat! It's positively boiling in here!"   
Lavada introduced her to the three Barr brothers. They were certainly strange, but seemed harmless. The youngest brother said, "Hello Lavada! And this must be Liana. What alliteration we have in the office!"   
Tenel Ka found that remark shallow and quite odd, but Liana found it amusing, and giggled slightly.

* * *

Lavada showed Tenel Ka her workstation, the wooden desk on the left of the lobby. After she finished some simple filing, the eldest of the Mr. Barr's poked his head out of his office.   
"Lunch time, ladies!" He smiled broadly. "Take as long as you like."   
"I always go to the café on the fourth floor- would you like to come?" Lavada picked up her purse and slung it over her shoulder. "No, I..." Tenel Ka may have eaten lunch quickly, and alone, but Liana certainly would not. "You know what? That would be super." Liana smiled, picked up her own bag, and followed Lavada out the door.

* * *

Jacen entered his new office. Quite the opposite of Tenel Ka's, his office was modern and metallic looking. In the front, there was a sitting area with four uncomfortable-looking modern chairs, and a coat closet. Down the center of the office, and just beyond the sitting room, was a hallway with three tall cubicles on each side.  
A humanoid stuck his head out of the front-left doorway. "You must be Gavin Jan?"   
Jacen pushed his fake glasses up onto the bridge of his nose. "Yes, that's me."   
The man stood up and walked towards him. He spoke in a monotonous voice. "Welcome to the office. As you know, we work in the cataloging/database business. Some say it's dull work, and well, they're right."   
He led Jacen to the third, and last cubicle on the right side of the hallway. The man slammed an enormous stack of papers and a computer disk onto Jacen's desk. "Catalog these names and addresses." The man turned to leave. "Oh, and my name is Mr. Pon. Those are all due today." He flashed Jacen a false and irritated smile and left.   
Jacen began typing the hundreds of names in the computer, onto the disk. It was going to be a long day, indeed.

* * *

  
About an hour later, Jacen decided it was time for lunch, and snuck out of the office. He found a café right on his floor that served blue milk, just like his parents always had stocked in the fridge. He got a dish of some type of broiled meat and the blue milk, and sat down, only to find that Tenel Ka and another attractive though dumb-looking woman had sat down at one of the only empty tables.  
"Hello ladies. Mind if I join you? There doesn't seem to be any more space in here."  
The blonde giggled shrilly. "Why of course not! Pleeease! Sit!" Tenel Ka smiled and shoved a forkful of salad in her mouth.  
"I don't believe we're met... I'm Gavin Jan."  
"I'm Lavada, this is Liana. We work down a floor at Barr Brothers." Tenel Ka just chewed on her enormous mouthful and waggled the fingers of her prosthetic arm at Jacen.  
"How nice to meet you. Both of you." Jacen took a bite of his meat. It was certainly overdone, and very chewy.  
"You too." Tenel Ka said after she had finished chewing. She looked him in the eye for a moment and then went back to her salad. Jacen stared at her for a moment as well. He could tell that she was trying to get Lavada to think they were falling in love, in order to do some sneaking around in the building. Not only was Lavada easy to convince, but as Mara said, the falling in love part wasn't a stretch for either of them.  
  
"So how was your first day at work, Jace?" Jaina had taken leave from her duty on the Rouge Squadron to see Leia. Jacen and Tenel Ka walked in to the hospital wing's waiting room/lounge, still wearing their disguises. Jacen slumped into an armchair  
"Exhausting. I can't believe how many people do that every day." Jacen had been typing all day, and unaccustomed to the repetitive motion, his wrists were very sore.  
"I did notice something strange in my office." Tenel Ka spoke up. "The middle Barr brother has a slight Force-sensitivity. I had to keep mine masked when I was in the office, lest he became suspicious."  
"We'll have to do a background check on him." Jacen said as he poured himself a mug of caf from the carafe on the table. "Want some, Jaina?"  
"Already did, thanks."  
"Tenel Ka?" Jacen knew she didn't usually drink caf, only water and healthy juices, but she did look awfully tired.  
"Yes, thank you Jacen." She took the mug from him a sipped a little. "Hot. Yet, not as bad as I would expect."  
  
A/N: Dumb ending I know, but this has been on my computer for months, just thought I'd put it up in case anyone still reads these.... 


	5. Visits

Jacen sighed, and looked at his mother. Breath flowed in and out of her body, but slowly and more shallow than normal. He could tell that the quality of the Force around her was muted from the healing trance. Uncle Luke had said that there was no way to tell when she would come out of it, but he was confident that she would eventually. She still lay peacefully on the hospital bed, surrounded by blinking and beeping monitors. The colors of the room were soft and tranquil, yet they did nothing to calm Jacen from the sheer panic of seeing his own mother float between life and death.

"We're doing everything we can. I swear." He knew she couldn't hear him, but the words were reassuring to Jacen. He pulled the blankets over his mother more, tucking her in to bed as she had done for him and his siblings countless times in the past. Vacating the chair near her bed that he had been sitting in, he left the room quietly; the "beep beep beep" of her heart monitor faintly disappearing behind the door.

As he closed the door, he saw Tenel Ka walking down the corridor toward him, her high heels she had worn to work in her prosthetic hand, and her stockinged feet making little noise on the tile floor.

"How is your mother?" Tenel Ka gestured towards Leia's door.

"She's fine, just in a healing trance for now." He reached out for her empty hand and took it in his own. "Want to go for a walk?"

"Yes," Tenel Ka answered quietly. The two conversed softly. Though the doors and walls of the hospital wing were soundproof, it felt wrong to speak loudly. They walked back to the main palace area and Jacen invited Tenel Ka onto the balcony of his temporary apartment.

The sun had just set, and though there were no stars, the lights of the city planet were almost as captivating.

"So..." Jacen looked at his friend. They reclined on the chaise lounges on the high patio. Her eyes were closed, and a slight smile graced her lips. "How was today, really?"

"Mentally exhausting. Shielding my presence in the Force while maintaining the personality of another is difficult." Tenel Ka opened her eyes and sat up, gazing intently at the stream of ships and hovercars rushing around the city that seemed to only float lazily by. "It is...almost indescribable to live the life of another. This character, this person, this woman...she is so utterly different than myself."

Jacen smiled. "That she is. You're doing a wonderful job though."

"Thank you, as are you."

Tenel Ka gazed into the depths of Coruscant, clearly in deep thought. She could tell the next day would be just as mentally exhausting as the first, but looked forward to the challenge.

Jacen awoke that night to the incessant buzzing of his doorbell, and stumbled out to bed to answer it.

"Jedi Solo, sorry to wake you, but the suspect is acting oddly, asking to see you." One of General Niron's men stood at Jacen's door in full uniform.

Jacen ran his hand over his sleep-tousled hair, his tired eyes still shocked by the light emitted by the lamp in the hallway.

"Sir, uh, this is urgent. General Niron's orders that you come ASAP."

Jacen knew it must be important for him to be woken in the middle of the night so he threw his jacket on over his pajamas and stuffed his feet into the shoes by the door.

The officer led him back down to the lower levels of the palace, where the prisoner was kept. Jacen was led into a room already occupied by Niron and the prisoner. Niron looked alert and crisp as always, but the prisoner looked as if he had gone mad. He was unshaven and his eyes were bloodshot and swollen.

When he saw Jacen, he ran towards him, grabbing the front of Jacen's jacket and holding it tight as he spoke. "Please... please, I need to speak to you. Alone."


	6. The Prisoner

Author's Note: Thank you for reading! As this story progresses, I realize that I'll have to rewrite some (and by some I mean all-lol) the previous chapters, there just seems to be more information that I need the readers to know in order for this story to work. And I realized how sloppily written they are, and I apologize! So I'm very sorry if there are inconsistencies or sloppy planning on my part, this is the first story I've gotten this far on! Oh, and I don't own Star Wars. At all. :)

Oh, and I apologize for the short chapters lately, life is crazy right now...

"You wanted to see me?" Jacen and the prisoner sat across from each other at a table in the small room. The prisoner remained silent, only shaking his head and sighing deeply, as if trying to figure out how to proceed.

Finally, he said, "My name is Lewic."

"I'm-" Jacen began, but Lewic interrupted him.

"-Jacen Solo, I know. How could I not?" Lewic began with his story slowly. "First of all, this attack wasn't my idea. There is a man in the Imperial Corporate building, who I saw every day. He... he threatened me." Lewic paused again. Jacen could tell he had been working out the courage to tell him this.

The prisoner gained intensity in his features, "He threatened my family. My wife...my three children. He said he would kill them!" He beat his fist on the table, then buried his face in his hands. "I had to. I love them so much. I couldn't let anything happen to them, I had to, don't you understand?"

Lewic was bordering on the edge of his previous state of insanity. He reached across the table and grabbed the front of Jacen's jacket and yelled, "Don't you understand?!"

Jacen pulled the man's hands off his plain brown jacket, as Lewic began to sob again. "Lewic. Who did this? Who made you shoot my mother?" Jacen pushed a calming nature through the Force towards the prisoner.

Lewic regained his composure again. "He was a lawyer. I was just a security guard in the building, but he thought he could pull some strings and get me a job in the Palace. For about a month, it was the greatest job I've ever had. My family, they lived comfortably. I worked normal hours.

"Then, I received a call from him. I meant to thank him, but before I could, he told me he had an assignment for me. You know the rest; I shot the most famous woman in the galaxy. To protect my family."

"What is this man's name?" Jacen asked slowly.

"He never told me. But he did have this uncanny way of getting me to believe him and his threats. Like he was a Jedi or something." He gave a weak chuckle. "But he wasn't, I could tell. A Jedi would never say the things he said."

Jacen knew immediately who he was talking about. The Force-sensitive Barr brother Tenel Ka had encountered.

"We'll have to heavily investigate that middle Barr brother." General Niron was discussing Jacen's interview with Jacen and various other NRI officers. "Scarnt, we'll put you on that, I need Barr in here ASAP."

The officer Scarnt began to get up from his chair and leave the room, but Jacen said, "General, I don't think that's the best course of action in this case."

"Why is that Mr. Solo? Barr is clearly dangerous."

"Dangerous, yes, but since we don't know what else he's got up his sleeve, it might be best to treat this case with caution. He's Force sensitive, though he probably doesn't know it yet. Let Tenel Ka and I have a few more days. We'll get to the bottom of this, sir."

After briefing Tenel Ka on the events of the previous night, they set off to their second day of work, in disguise.

Jacen entered his cubicle and sat down to begin his typing of the day. His fingers moved of their own accord, his brain retracing all that had happened in the last few days. Mara had chosen Jacen and Tenel Ka jobs based on the location of the offices and type of work done in each. Both jobs were located relatively close to the bottom of the building, Tenel Ka's on the third floor, Jacen's on the fourth. This would allow them time to catch a suspicious person before the left the building, as there were over 100 floors above them.

At Jacen's typing job, many of the documents or databases of the entire building passed through, and it would be a chance for them to investigate any suspiciousness in those documents. Tenel Ka would keep an eye out for anything irregular about the law practice as well.

It was only in a stroke of luck that Tenel Ka had been situated in the exact office of the alleged perpetrator. It was all working out perfectly, even better than planned.

Jacen finished one folder of databases, then put it in his 'out' box and reached for the next folder. It was made of a tough purple paper, and the instructions typed on the outside read, "These letters pertain to a lawsuit, please type them up and send them via the Net to address ImperialCorpBuilding/Level3/Office1/BarrLegal/Richard."

Jacen did all he could to contain a gasp of surprise. The Barr legal office! Yet another lucky circumstance...

He opened the folder, and sifted through the contents. It seemed to be only handwritten notes from clients on pieces of flimsy paper, but between two of the notes was a very small piece of paper from a notepad. The top of the paper said in purple letters, "Barr Legal Offices, Richard Barr" and was clearly for writing memos, messages or reminders. In black pen, "Sammy's Bar, 3:00, don't forget!" was scrawled. The paper must have gotten caught up in the scramble to shove the letters into the folder from Richard's desktop.

Jacen slipped the piece of paper in his pocket, and plotted away as he retyped the trivial letters.


	7. Lunch and Sammy's

Author's Note: Hope you enjoy this chapter, also check out my other story, "My Heart Will Go On." Please review, thanks a TON! May the Force be with you all.

* * *

Earlier the same morning Jacen found the note, Tenel Ka arrived in the Barr office. She sat down at her desk to survey the contents of her 'In' box. Lavada entered the office soon after, her blonde hair bouncing annoyingly. "Good morning!"

Tenel Ka nodded in Lavada's general direction. She then remembered that she was playing 'Liana' and said, "Good morning to you, too."

About ten minutes later, the secretaries had busied themselves with typing and sorting mail. Suddenly, Richard Barr burst out of his office into the lobby where the two secretaries' desks were located. "Have you seen a small piece of purple paper? With a reminder on it?"

Tenel Ka looked at Lavada and both women shook their heads 'no'. Richard didn't talk to them often, and when he did, it was usually franticly, as he was awfully unorganized. Barr cursed under his breath and retreated into his office quickly.

Lavada shook her head sorrowfully, "Poor man, so awfully unorganized."

* * *

For another hour or so, the two women sat typing away and answering calls for the Barr lawyers. Around lunchtime, Jacen entered the office.

"Good afternoon, ladies." He wore his fake glasses resting on his head, as if he needed them only for typing.

Lavada giggled and responded, "Hi, Gavin." She flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder flirtingly. It was all Tenel Ka could do not to roll her eyes.

"Would you like to join me for lunch?" The two women grabbed their bags, and they all headed down to the first floor to a small Corellian restaurant.

After they sat down and got their food, Lavada said, "You know, I was looking through my holomags last night, and I came across something very interesting."

"Really? What's that?" Jacen spoke around his mouthful of meat.

"You two look uncannily similar to the Princess of Hapes and Jacen Solo."

Jacen promptly choked on his mouthful of meat in surprise, but Tenel Ka was quicker, saying, "Really? How flattering!" Jacen felt her high heel crush his toe under the table, which only added to the choking in his throat. Perhaps Lavada was not as slow-witted as he originally thought.

"Gavin...are you okay?" Lavada looked genuinely concerned, and thumped his back consolingly.

"Fine," Jacen croaked out between racking coughs. "Just...fine." He pushed his glasses up his nose, and said, "Well, Lavada, you bear a striking resemblance to Sana Uzuri, has anyone told you that?" Sana was a famous singer on Coruscant, but her resemblance to Liana was slight.

Lavada gave her trademark giggle and continued with her salad, saying, "Well no! Thank you!"

* * *

After lunch, Tenel Ka and Liana were in the elevator alone with the attendant, when Lavada said, "Liana, isn't he the greatest? He was looking at you practically the whole lunch! I just know he'll ask you on a date. I just know these things, I'm very observant..."

Tenel Ka let Lavada ramble on, smiling and nodding her head excitedly. She really had nothing to say, and as Mara had said, an office romance would definitely aid the sneaking around associated with the mission at hand.

When they sat down at their desks, Tenel Ka glanced at her desktop computer console and noticed that she had an inter-building piece of mail. She quickly glanced at Lavada to make sure she wasn't watching too closely, and clicked on the icon to read the mail. The blonde woman continued to apply layers of red lipstick, gazing in a small mirror.

Liana-

I really enjoyed lunch today, meet me at Sammy's Bar around 300 for a date? Hope to see you there.

Gavin Jan

Lavada suddenly appeared, reading the mail over her coworker's shoulder. "I knew it! Didn't I tell you he would ask you on a date? Are you going to go? You have to go!"

"Well of course I'm going, he was very nice, wasn't he?" Tenel Ka twirled around in her chair to face Lavada, who she was finding more uncannily observant by the minute.

"Not hard on the eyes, either. Don't you think he looks like Jacen Solo?" Lavada went back to her own desk and sat down.

"He does, a little."

* * *

Jacen sat in a secluded booth at Sammy's Bar, a particularly seedy restaurant in one of the middle-lower levels of the city not far from the Imperial Corporate Building. He had gotten a strange Force-sense from the note, and it told him that this meeting was important evidence. From his seat, he saw Tenel Ka arrive at the bar through the front door, purse in prosthetic hand. Jacen noticed she had become quite proficient with the new limb, but every time they got back to the palace, she took it off as soon as possible. He imagined that by this time, it must feel like having a third arm to a person with only two. He reached out to her in the Force and got her attention.

She spotted him and sat down across from him in the booth. She said, "What is happening?"

Jacen filled her in on the happenings of the day, and his suspicions about the note. It was only 230, so the only thing left to do was wait for Richard Barr to arrive.


End file.
